The eighth commandment

Deuteronomy 25.4

“‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.’”

Matthew 10.10; Luke 10.7; 1 Corinthians 9.8-12

Paul, of course, applied this statute to himself and to the Corinthians’ failure to provide for him during the period of his public ministry. God intended this statute to be used in this way, as the Apostle makes clear.

But He also intended that men should not take advantage of or abuse their animals, whether working livestock, animals to used for food, or, presumably, even pets. God cares for all His creatures, as Psalm 104 explains, and He expects us to reflect in our treatment of animals His own caring and nurturing provision. To do otherwise is to fail in our mandate to exercise dominion over the creatures for the purpose of furthering God’s goodness and glory.

Even creatures that “serve” us only indirectly – the songbirds which delight us, the scavengers which remove carrion, even the worms that aerate the soil – all are deserving of a measure of respect and care from their human overlords.

This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.